End gate



, 4, MEML wy( /o June 28, 1932. E. o. MILLER END GATE Filed Feb. 17. 1930 v 6 22 2 Z 0 2 R nl my 5 8 3 2 www m i 1 m ,m1 l 3 2 \\.1+ L 2 M e a NJ.. a OM m f.. m 3 .l v 4 E Z 0N ...L :1. ,A 2 4 a 3 A \\\\M E Y Patented `lune 28, 1932 UNITED STATES Emana o. MILLER, on Bnror'r, Kansas.: K

Application filed February 17, 1930; YSerial N'o. 429,016.

My invention relates to end gates for trucks, wagons and other vehicles used in hauling hogs, sheep, calves and other live stock, and one object is to provide an end gate of this character which will permit of rapid loading and unloading of the. animals with little or no chance of their escaping while thus being loaded or unloaded.

A Jfurther object is to provide an end gate io with a slidable section which may be opened from either side so that it may be used in connection with right or left hand chutes located at stoclryards and other places where live stock is loaded or unloaded.

Another object is the provision of fastening means for holding the end gate securely in closed position, and' yet which may be quickly released when it is desired to open said end gate.

W'ith the above and other objects in view, which will hereinafter appear, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a broken perspective view ot a truck body equipped with my improved end gate.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of F ig. 3, of the end gate applied to the rear portion of the truck body.

liig. a is a broken plan View of the end gate and the truck body.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of one of a pair of fastening members for holding the slidable section of theend gate in closed position.

Referring in detail to the various parts of the invention, 2, in general, designates the rear portion of a truck body which may be of any usual or preferred construction; T he end gate forming the present invention, consists of a main hinged section and a slidable auxiliary section, which latter is operably mounted in the former. The hinged section consists of outer and inner upright members 4 and 8, respectively, and a number of transverse members 6 firmly secured together. The outer upright members 4 are spaced Jrom'the inner members 8 and cooperate therewith and with the members 6 in providing a slideway for the auxiliary section, forming an important .part of the end gate, tooperate. The upright-members 4 and 8` are. arranged at the endsy and the middle portion, and the transverse members at 4the upperr and loweruporf. tions. of the main Lsection to leave openings 5.3 for the passage of animals when the-.auxiliary section isI slid tothe right or left. The main section of the end gate isi secured to hinge members lOby elements l2', and said' hinge members, l0 are operably mounted upon. a ou pintle 14 supported by hangers 16' secured to opposite sides. of the truck .body 2 by suite. able fastening means 18.

The; hinged'section of the endgate is. normally secured inclosed lposition,v by cables 2Q 65 in the form of chains or ropes, attached at theirrearends to eye bolts,22. secured to one of the4 upper transverse members. 6. The for-i ward ends of the cables 2@rv areA attached to. the rearwardly extending heads 28 of pins26' A adapted to be inserted in eye bolts 32 and? 36 secured` to cleats 34 at the. sidesof thelbodiy 2. /Vhen securing the. hinged sectiono the. end gate in-` closevd position thepins- 26 are first partially inserted. through the eye bolts 32 at an angle of about forty-tive degrees; The. orward ends of the pins 26: are. then grasped and` pulledL backwardly to approximatelyY a Vertical positionso. that their lower portionsmay be inserted initheopen eye bolts S0, 365 which cooperate With'the eye bolts 321'inj holding sa-idpins26 in place. When the for-- ward ends ofv theA pins 26j are pulled back wardly yas statedthey rock on-theeye bolts 32 as,- levers; on theirfulcrums. and-"draw the. cables 20 taut so thatv the hinged section of the end gate willbe firmly held in closed. position.V4 The'tension ofthe. cables 2OholdV the pins 26 firmly in engagement with, the eye: bolts 32 and 36, so that said pins'cannot 90 work upwardly out, ofplace vwhen subjected to the-vibration of the. vehicle whiletraveling on theroad.

Referring now moreparticularly to the slidable section of the end gate forming an 9.@` important feature of the invention, it will be noted that it is mounted between the upright members 4 and 8 of the hinged section. Said y slidable section kconsists of upright members 41 and transverse members 43 which are firmly secured together by bolts or other suitable means. The bottom portion of the slidable section travels upon antifriction rollers 40 journaled on shafts 42 mounted` in the lower portions of the upright members 4 and 8. Resilient fastening members 44 are provided for securing the slidable section in closed position. Said fastening members are secured to the lower portions of the upright members` 4 and have curved portions 46 Aadapted tospring into recesses 48 in the upright members 4l of the slidable section, as shown by Fig. 4 and thus lock said slidable member in open or closed position. The spring fastening members 44 are secured in place by screws 50 or other suitable means. Oppositely disposed handles 52 are secured to the ends of the slidable section so that the latter can be readily opened to the right or left.

When hogs, sheep and other small animals are to be loaded or unloaded the slidable section of the end gage is opened about half Way as shown by Fig. l. The foregoing operation provides a small opening through which the animals must pass one by one so that there will be no opportunity for the animals within the truck from getting out of control and escaping. When larger animals, as steers, are to be loaded or unloaded the end gate may be lowered on the hinges lO to open up the entire rear end of the body 2.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided an end gate having the advantages vabove pointed out, and while I have shown one form of the invention I reserve all rights to such other forms and modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In combination with a vehicle body, a main end gate section operably connected lto said body and consisting of inner and outer up'- right meinbers'fo'rming the ends and'middle portion of said section, and horizontal members forming the upper and lower portions of said section and interposed between said upright members'to provide an opening, an auX- iliary section mounted to slide to the right or left in said opening; rollers in the lower portion of said opening and upon which said auX- iliary section is adapted'to operate means for securing the main section in closed position, and resilient means for securing the auxiliary section in closed position.

In testimony whereofI afx my signature.

ELMER O. MILLER. 

